New York Experience Portfolio

Table of Contents

Me & NYC

The New York Experience Portfolio

Mission Statement

Pursuing a high school education in New York City limited by the walls of a building would be to lose sight of the vast learning experiences waiting outside of those walls.  Therefore, it has been the effort of Landmark High School to establish a New York Experience curriculum that explores the meaningful and relevant learning opportunities the city has to offer.  Throughout this school’s history, the goal of the New York Experience curriculum has been twofold: First, to foster a sense of trust and community within each advisory; and second, to develop an understanding and appreciation of the cultural and historical richness of the incredible city in which we live.  It is both the enormous depth and breadth of this richness that we wish to explore with the current New York Experience curriculum. The curriculum is academically meaningful, leading to the completion of a Graduation Portfolio, and relevant, reflecting the tremendous variety of experiences that coexist in New York City.

We live in a city that has been home to artists ranging from Norman Rockwell to Andy Warhol; musicians from Wynton Marsalis to Fifty Cent (or Itzhak Perlman to Joey Ramone); films with depictions that range from Do the Right Thing to Annie Hall; architecture from gothic to art deco; from The Cloister’s medieval history to Sony Wonder’s latest technology.  Given the incredible variety of experiences New York City has to offer, it is vital that the New York Experience Curriculum reflects a similar variety of activities and opportunities for learning.

 NYC Experience Portfolio Outline

Cover Letter

§       Include a piece of writing that briefly introduces yourself to the reader and explains what the reader will see in your portfolio and how and why these topics connect (for example: Why did you choose to write about those particular field trips?).

§       This can be about a page.  While this is the first part of the portfolio it should be written last.

Part 1: How you have experienced New York City so far in your life?:

§       Include a piece of writing that explores some of your ideas and what you’ve learned and understood about your neighborhood and where you live. 

§       This should be 1-2 pages.

Part 2: What ideas, thoughts and questions have I gained from my field trips?

(Do this for at least 4 of the 5 categories: Art, Architecture and Landmarks, Environment, History, Film)

§       Include writing about what you thought, felt and questioned about each field trip category before you began your New York Experience Field trips 

§       Include one image from a field trip in each category  (this could be your own drawing, a photograph, a picture from a brochure, etc.)

§       Lastly, include what you learned, felt, understood, questioned, etc. about this place and/ or category after your field trips.  Why was this trip interesting?  How did your ideas change after going on this trip?

§       Each category should be about 2-4 paragraphs of writing (information presented from this section should almost entirely come from field trip notes and field trip handouts.

Part 3: The short research Presentation: What do I want to know more about?

§       Research a specific topic of interest to you from one of the categories (Art, Architecture and Landmarks, Environment, History, Film) and prepare a presentation about this topic.

§       (This will be presented to your advisor, ninth graders from another advisory, and possibly some other guests)

Part 4:The Conclusion (part of Cover Letter?)

§       Include a conclusion for your entire portfolio by discussing in writing:

§       What have I learned about NYC from these trips?  What kinds of activities and places seem interesting to me now in NYC?  What are questions I have left? etc.

§       This can be 1-2 paragraphs

Part 1

How Have I Experienced New York City so Far?

This Section Includes:

 

Teacher Notes: Neighborhood Map

Neighborhood Map Handout

Neighborhood Writing Prompts

“Working with my Free-Write Drafts” Handout

Peer Response for Neighborhood writing Handout

End of Unit Portfolio Goal: v    Part 1: How you have experienced New York City so far in your life?: Include a piece of writing that explores some of your ideas and what you’ve learned and understood about where you live.

 Teacher Notes for Neighborhood Map Activity

Directions for the Teacher:

For some students, making a visual of their neighborhood map will help them when they start writing about their neighborhood.  This is no longer a requirement for the portfolio.

The following page is a handout for students to begin work on their neighborhood map.  It’s a good idea for the teacher to model the making of his or her own map first on the chalkboard or overhead.

1.     Draw the streets around your apartment/ building/ house.

2.     Add in a few other things near your residence and comment on why you put them there (example: “This is a bakery where I always buy bread”) – Don’t dwell too much on this, it isn’t the most interesting part..

3.     The go into the other spots in any order you like “This is where the garbage piles up and I never walk past here because it smells like rotten food…This is where I start my jog because there is a good view…This is a memory spot because… etc. 

(You should think ahead of time about what you are going to draw so you have some interesting anecdotes or ideas to go with you map)

Materials &Notes: 

Have 8 x11 computer paper available.

If you have rulers and colored pencils, bring them out!  If not, have something else handy the students can use as a straight edge. 

Neighborhood Map Handout

(How Have You Experienced New York City so far in Your Life?)

We learn a great deal from the places in which we live and grow up.  We walk past people and places in our neighborhood and sometimes they affect us and sometimes we don’t give them a second thought.  Take some time to develop your personalized map of your neighborhood. 

§       With a ruler, pencil and blank sheet of paper draw a street map of your neighborhood.  It should include roughly a two-block radius around your apartment/ building/house.

§       Once you have drawn in the streets and labeled them, add in stores, restaurants, buildings, parks, parking lots, schools or other things located on the area of your map that stand out to you.

§       Now make the neighborhood yours! Add in and label some of the following:

§       Spots with a significant smell

§       Spots with a significant taste

§       Spots with a significant sight

§       Spots with a significant sound

§       Places where significant friends or relatives live

§       Places that hold a special memory

§       Places that are dangerous or scary spots

§       Places that you frequent regularly (subway stop, particular store, court where you play basketball, etc.)

§       Places that seem artistic or hold beauty to you

§       Places that have historical meaning to you or the neighborhood

§       Other ideas?

Notes:

When labeling your spots, don’t put something generic like “smell spot”.  Label what it is like “Greasy but delicious smell of Ray’s pizza”

Try to be neat with your handwriting so you can add in more!

Writing Around My Neighborhood

(How Have You Experienced New York City Thus far in Your Life?)

Writing Around My Neighborhood: Guided free-write # 1      Sometimes we gloss over important aspects of or lives, because we are so busy or caught up in daily routines and stresses.  Now you have a chance to describe a part of your life and then be thoughtful about it.  Try to write quietly for at least 10 minutes without stopping, just let all the ideas in your brain pour out! Look at the neighborhood map you created.  What is one memory or story that involves one of your “memory spots” This memory could involve any kinds of emotion, happy, sad scary, etc.  What happened at that time?  What was that day like?  What were you thinking and feeling at that time?  What do you think and feel about this memory now?  Did this memory affect the way you see you neighborhood?

Writing Around My Neighborhood: Guided free-write # 2      Try to write quietly for at least 10 minutes without stopping, just let all the ideas in your brain pour out! Don’t worry all the questions, just use the ones that help your ideas get out. Look at the neighborhood map you created.  If a friend or relative your age,  who had never been to your neighborhood arrived, what would they see, feel, smell, taste and experience.   --  If you were explaining your neighborhood, what else would you want them to know?  What information should they understand?  What places should they experience? What people do you think they should meet? What would they only know if they had you as their guide? What things would you not share with them?  What questions would you ask them?

Writing Around My Neighborhood: Guided free-write # 3      Try to write quietly for at least 10 minutes  without stopping, just let all the ideas in your brain pour out! Don’t worry about all the questions, just use the ones that seem helpful.  Who is a person who makes you neighborhood special?  This could be a mean character you see on the streets, a nice older person who always sits on their stoop, a particular neighborhood friend you always hang out with, etc.  What is one story, memory or interaction that stand out to you involving this person?  Feel free to include deals about what the day was like, what they look like and sounds like, what dialogue you may have exchanged with that person etc.  What questions do you have in your mind about this person? How did you feel about them then and now?  How is he/s he unique in your neighborhood?

Working with my Free-Write Drafts:

Writing Around My Neighborhood

Here is your chance to let your story become more alive!  You can let the reader get to know you, understand your ideas and imagine what a certain moment was like. 

Writing can be arranged in an infinite amount of ways.  However, we are going to work with the following pieces that we will weave together.

Step 1: Choosing

§       Look through your neighborhood free-writes and choose the one that feels most important to you, the one you have the strongest feelings about.

Step 2: Imagine, Explore Your Memory & Describe

At the beginning describe the event, experience or story by showing us rather than telling us what happened.  Consider using:

• Setting description: What was that day like?  What were the sounds, smells, sights, feelings of that day (this is also a good place for metaphors!)
• Dialogue: if there were words exchanged, use dialogue to describe what happened.
• Show not tell Description:  Work on saying things like, “I clamped my jaw tight and felt my fists gather into a ball (rather than “I was mad”).
• (At this point, let’s do some peer response to get feedback)

Step 3:  (Thoughts and Feelings you had THEN)*

§       Feelings:  What were you feeling at the time?

§       Thoughts and Questions:  What questions and thoughts were going through your mind.  What were you wondering about at that time? 

Step 4: (Thoughts and Feelings you have NOW)*

§       What do you realize and/ or understand now?

§       If you could relive part of this experience is there anything that you would do over?

§       What have you learned about yourself or your life through this experience or aspect of your life?  How have you changed because of this experience

* (If you are revising free-write # 2, basically you just want to explore here a bit how your feelings and ideas about your neighborhood have changed)

Peer Response For 2nd Draft of Neighborhood Writing Pieces

Author’s Name:__________________                      Peer Responder:________________

Give energy to your friend’s paper!  Help your classmates be great writers!

• What is the line that you feel is the most descriptive: Copy it down.

• Ask a question about something visual (ex: What did ____ look like?)

• What is a question you can ask about a smell? (What did ____ smell like?)

• What is a question you can ask about a touch/ feeling or a taste?)

• Is there anything confusing about the story, something you didn’t understand?

• What are questions that you can ask about feelings and thoughts (like what were you thinking when..?, or How did you feel about…  Or I’m still wondering?

Part 2a - Me, NYC & Art

This section includes:

Initial Thoughts Handout

Generic Field Trip Form

Specific Field Trip Forms

Portfolio Page Assignment Guide

Me, NYC & Art

Initial Thoughts

Do this before your first Art trip

At the beginning of the year:

Living in New York City, what art do you see/experience around you? _______________

Why do you consider these things “art?” ______________________________________

How would life be different if art did not exist? _________________________________

Why do people from all over the world come to NYC to see and make art? ___________

Me, NYC & Art

NY Experience Generic Art Field Trip Form

1.     The destination of the art exhibit / piece is _______________________________

Address _________________________________________________________

2.     The name of the art exhibit(s) / piece(s) is ________________________________

3.     The exhibit / piece was created by __________________________, who is from

_________in ____________ or during (time period) ________________________.

4.     How is this art piece related to your studies at Landmark High School? Did you come across this topic in your classes?

5.     Describe the art piece / exhibit which you are viewing in your own words:

a)     What form is it (statue, painting, mural, photo, etc…) _____________________

b)  What are you looking at exactly? Describe what you see in front of you.

6.     What feelings does this art piece / exhibit bring up when you look at it?

 

Me, NYC & Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art – Ancient Egypt Collection

1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street

Directions: Take 4, 5, or 6 train to 86th Street and walk 3 blocks west to Fifth Avenue

1. List four ideas you know about the ancient Egyptian culture.

§       List three pieces that prove that ancient Egypt was a polytheistic society – provide specific names and give a description of the pieces you are viewing. (polytheistic means believing in more than one god/ goddess)

§       Find two pieces that show how the ancient Egyptians were a River Valley culture – how did they use the river?

§       Ancient Egyptian culture is described as a very technological and sophisticated (refined and highly complex) society. Looking at the art and artifacts – do you agree or disagree? List specific pieces and explain your answer (3-4 sentences).

§       What is the most impressive piece in the Egyptian collection that you are viewing? WHY?

After the trip:

Using your notes from the Friday trip, write about what you learned about ancient Egypt. Some topics are:

·      Religion of the Ancient Egyptians

·      Social Structure of the Ancient Egyptians

·      Living in Ancient Egyptian times

·      Art of the Ancient Egyptians

Me, NYC, & Art

Cloisters Fieldtrip Form

Directions: Take the mid-train A uptown to 190^th St. and the elevator to the street. Turn right on the street when you get out and walk through the park and uphill to the Cloisters. There are signs.

Before you go:

Name ____________________________________              Date ________________

Have you ever been to The Cloisters or Fort Tryon Park before?   YES / NO

What do you expect to see? ________________________________

Predict what this place has to do with the idea of “Art?” _______________________

Why/how is this place important or significant to NYC? ______________________

_______________________________________________

On the trip: Get a floor-plan brochure from the front desk so you know where to go.

What is a cloister?

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

What purpose does a cloister have or did it have originally? ____________________

_______________________________________________

The Cloisters is a museum dedicated to medieval Europe. List 5 countries that are represented here. ____________________________________________________________________

What is the earliest date you can find? _______________________________________

What is the latest/most recent date you can find? _______________________________

Go look at the main Cuxa cloister in the center and the St. Guilhem cloister. If it is not open, look at the picture. In what 2 ways are they similar?

In what 2 ways are they different?

Find the 6 large unicorn tapestries. Give a brief description in your own words of the story the tapestries are telling.

What shoes are the people wearing in the tapestries? ___________________________

Where are these tapestries from? __________________________________________

What is one thing you like about them? _____________________________________

What is one thing you think is weird about them? _____________________________

________________________________________________

Who are the 9 heroes in the room of the 9 heroes? ______________________________

How are they represented as heroic? _________________________________________

Go down to the lower level. What is one unique thing about:

a) the Trie cloister _______________________________________________________

b) the Bonnefort cloister __________________________________________________

How many different kinds of columns are there in the Trie cloister? Describe them:

Take a picture of one of the cloisters and label it here:

Who owns the Cloisters? _____________________________

Who designed them?  ________________________________

After the trip:

Describe how this trip taught you something or introduced you to something about an aspect of art which was new to you. Possible ideas to use are: time periods, countries or regions, architecture form and function, art forms (painting, sculpture, tapestries), religion, myths … or use your own idea.

If you are having trouble starting your description, think about this structure:

On my trip to _____________I realized/learned some things about art in New York City. I learned _____________, _____________, and _____________, which all relate to (chosen aspect). These facts made me think _____________. I also felt _____________ about this aspect of art because _____________. Keep going!

Me, NYC, & Art

Metropolitan Museum of Art Fieldtrip Form for Modern Art

Directions: Take the N/R train uptown to Lexington.  Transfer to the 4,5,or 6 train uptown to 86^th St.  Walk west to Fifth Ave. and south to 82^nd St.  The group entrance is on the south side of the building (about 80^th St.) walking into Central Park.

Before you go:

Name______________________________________                       Date______________

What do you think of when you hear the term ‘Modern Art?’ ______________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Describe at least one piece of modern art that you have seen.  ______________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

What do you know about Pablo Picasso and/or his art?  ___________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

On the trip:  Go to the Modern Art section of the museum

Find at least four pieces of art by Pablo Picasso and state the title, when it was made, and where it was made.

TITLE                                     WHEN                                    WHERE

1.     ______________________          ___________              _________________

2.     ______________________          ___________              _________________

3.     ______________________          ___________              _________________

4.     ______________________          ___________              _________________

Choose the piece of art (from the above list: ___________________) that you either like the most or the least, and respond to the following:

Briefly describe the painting:             

• What does it represent (who or what is it of?) _____________________________

            __________________________________________________________________

• Describe what it looks like (colors, shapes, dark, light, etc) __________________

            __________________________________________________________________

            __________________________________________________________________

            __________________________________________________________________

• What is realistic about it, what is unrealistic? _____________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

How do you relate to the painting?

• How would you describe the tone of the painting (happy, sad, angry, etc.)?

__________________________________________________________________

• What about the painting makes you feel this way (colors, lightness darkness, facial expressions, etc.)?  _____________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

• Look carefully at the painting and choose one section of it that you like, dislike, or that bothers you.  Describe this section and why you feel the way you do. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• Do you like this piece of art or dislike it?  Why?  __________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Similar art:

• Look around the rooms you are in and find at least two pieces of art that remind you of Picasso’s art.  For each: state the artist, the title, when it was made, and where it was made. 

ARTIST                      TITLE                         WHEN                        WHERE

a)_______________   _______________      __________    __________________

b)_______________   _______________      __________    __________________

• Describe how the art is similar and how it is different.  _____________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• One of Picasso’s influences was African art.  Go to the section of the museum with African Art (across the hall from the Modern Art section) and find at least one piece of African art that reminds you of Picasso’s Art and for one piece state the title, when it was made, and where it was made.

ARTIST                      TITLE                         WHEN                        WHERE

________________    ________________    _________      __________________

• Why does it remind you of Picasso?  ____________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

After the trip:

One way of understanding art is as a form of communication between the artist and the people who look at the art. Choose one of the paintings that you have seen and describe what you think Picasso was trying to tell you about both the subject of the painting and about himself?  One way to answer this is to start by describing what thoughts and emotions you felt as you looked at the art and then whether you think these thoughts and emotions are what Picasso hoped people who saw his art would think or feel.

Me, NYC, & Art

ACE Art Gallery Field Trip  - 275 Hudson Street

 

Directions: Take the Downtown A or C train to the West 4^th street.  Get out and Transfer (on that same platform) to the Downtown E train.  Get out at the  Spring Street stop.  Walk west on Spring St. for 1 or 2 blocks and then turn left (south) onto Hudson Street. 

Before you go:

§       What do you think is the purpose of art?  Why do artist create it?  Why do people lie to experience/ see it?

§       What are some general guidelines you think a person should follow in an art gallery in general?

On the Trip:

§       Examine and explore one exhibit that seems interesting to you, what emotions do you think it is trying to give the viewer?  Explain.

Name of exhibit:                                                          name of artist:

§       Approach one exhibit that seems very visual to you.  Do a sketch of it here below

Name of exhibit:                                                    name of artist:

• Approach/ explore and examine another exhibit.  If you were interviewing the artist of this exhibit, what questions would you want to ask him/her?

Name of exhibit:                                                          name of artist:

• Approach/ explore and examine another exhibit.  Imagine the creation itself could speak.  What would your conversation with it be like.  Make a dialogue between you and the creation (Don’t be boring, here’s you chance o use your imagination!)  

Name of exhibit:                                                          name of artist:

The Creation:

Me:

The Creation:

Me:

The Creation:

At the end of your trip: If you asked ACE Art Gallery what the purpose of art is,  what do you think they might say?  How has your ideas about are changed or been affected?

Me, NYC & Art

THE POINT and BAAD  (Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance)

THE POINT CDC 940 Garrison Avenue Bronx, NY  10474 (718) 542-4139

Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance 841 Barreto Street, 2nd Floor Bronx, NY 10474 (718) 842-5223

By Subway: Take the 6 train to Hunts Point Avenue. Walk under the Bruckner Expressway (right in front of you when you exit the train station onto Hunts Point Avenue) and make a right turn at the first light onto Garrison Avenue. THE POINT is on the corner of Garrison and Manida Street (the first street on your left walking on Garrison). BAAD is on Barretto Street, the second street on your left walking on Garrison, between Garrison and Lafayette.

Before you go:          

Name: ______________________                             Date: ______________________

Weather: ______________________

Have you ever been to this place before?       YES / NO

What do you already know about the history of Hip Hop?

What do you already know about New York Latin music

On the trip: Note: If you have a camera, take pictures of this structure

Where are you as you write this?_____________________________________________

Name as many musical (or dance) styles as you can that were invented or personalized in the Bronx:

Who were the Mambo Kings?_______________________________________________

What were three of the main dance clubs from the 1940’s to the 1960’s?______________

________________________________________________________________________

What are the names of some South Bronx neighborhoods?_________________________

After the trip:

Choose one aspect from the “Art” list below, and describe how this trip taught you something or introduced you to something new about it.  Possible ideas are:

§       location

§       invention of a new style

§       originality

§       many cultures mixing together

§       cultural history (the history of a people)

See this website for background information: http://www.thepoint.org/aboutus/aboutus.html http://www.caravanmusic.com/GuideLatinMusic.htm

If you are having trouble starting your description, think about (but do not copy) this structure:

            On my trip to ____________________ I realized/learned some things

about the Bronx and its role in music history.  I learned about ____________

, ______________ , and __________________ , which

all relate to (chosen aspect).  Learning about these new things made me

think ____________________________________ .  I thought ___________

was interesting because ______________________________ .

Me, NYC, & Art

Portfolio Page Assignment Guide

1. Write an introduction about your feelings and thoughts about the relationship between NYC and art based on your responses to the questions above from the beginning of the year before you went on any trips. Look through your “Initial Thoughts” assignment to help you. You should address the following questions:

What do you think “art” is? What kinds of art are there? What is the role of art in our lives? What is the role of New York City in the art world?

2.  Choose one fieldtrip that you went on that was related to art in some way.

From your art fieldtrip assignment form, include:

A.  A description of the trip: We went to destination on date. I had/had not been there before. Before I went, I thought it would be expectations. I thought destination was related to the idea of NYC art because predictions. I thought it was important to NYC because significance. One/some of the artist(s) involved were ______. One/some of the pieces of art were called ______.

B.  A reflection on your understanding of the relationship between NYC and art: It must include a description of what you saw and experienced on your trip and what you learned from that. Use your fieldtrip assignment form to help you.

C.  Labeled photos from your trip or related images: Describe why you included them.

3.  Write a conclusion explaining how your thoughts or ideas about NYC and art have changed or developed since the beginning of your 9th grade year. Look over all your art fieldtrip forms to help you write a general conclusion for this section . You should address the following questions:

What new forms or types of art have you experienced through the year(s) of fieldtrips you have taken? How have your ideas about art changed? Is there anything that you now think of as art that you didn’t think was art before — why or why not?

Part 2b - Me, NYC & Environment

This Section Includes:

Initial Thoughts Handout

Generic Field Trip Form

Specific Field Trip Forms

Portfolio Page Assignment Guide

Me, NYC & Environment

Initial Thoughts

Do this before your first Environment trip

At the beginning of the year:

When you think of the New York City “Environment,” what comes to mind?

When you move around New York City from home to school and back or on Friday field trips, what parts of the environment do you experience?

What problems does NYC’s environment have?

What are some things that people do to take care of their environments?

Me, NYC & Environment

Generic Environment Fieldtrip Form

Before you go:

Name _________________________________                    Date _________________

When you think of the New York City Environment, what comes to mind?

Season: ______________________________________________________________

Weather: _____________________________________________________________

Destination ___________________________________________________________

Have you ever been to this place before?   YES / NO

What do you expect to see?

Predict what this place has to do with the idea of “Environment?”

Why/how is this place important or significant to NYC?

On the trip:

Where are you?  INDOORS / OUTDOORS - Stand in a central spot, and turn around in a circle. Describe what you see as you turn all the way around.

How are you learning about or experiencing the environment on this trip?

State three facts that you learned:

If you have a camera, take two pictures, from two different perspectives, of things you find on your trip. You can do a close-up, a shot looking down on something, a picture from underneath, one from far away, or whatever. Label your pictures here:

After the trip: - Choose one aspect from the “Environment” list below, and describe how this trip taught you something or introduced you to something about that aspect of the environment which was new to you. Possible ideas to use are: Physical setting, Wildlife, Plants, Animals, Natural history, Public health, Conservation, Pollution, Recycling, , Limited resources, Parks, Reserves … or use your own idea.

If you are having trouble starting your description, think about this structure:

On my trip to _____________I realized/learned some things about my environment in New York City. I learned _____________, _____________, and _____________, which all relate to (chosen aspect). These facts made me think _____________. I also felt _____________ about this aspect of the environment because _____________.
Me, NYC, & Environment

Central Park — Belvedere Castle Fieldtrip Form

Directions: Walk north up the west side of the park (on the side or through the Ramble) to Belvedere Castle. Or take the B or C train to 81st St. and walk into the park there. Nature Center inside.

Before you go:

Name _________________________________                    Date _________________

When you think of the New York City Environment, what comes to mind?

Season: _________________________              Weather: ________________________

Have you ever been to this place before?   YES / NO

What do you expect to see?

Predict what this place has to do with the idea of “Environment?”

Why/how is this place important or significant to NYC?

On the trip: While you are walking and around Belvedere Castle, use your “Colors of Fall” leaf guide to collect and identify at least 6 of the 12 leaves on the card. Keep them in an envelope. Take a picture of yourself with one of the leaves, the leaf card, and the tree that it came from.

(Outside) What is inside Belvedere Tower? ____________________________________

(Inside) What kinds of birds are there on the “birding tree” upstairs in the castle?

Find the weather station computer. Record the weather details.

(In the “Woods and Water Discovery Room”) Use the “Deciduous Trees of the Ramble” flowchart to find the Latin name of one of the leaves you found.

 Look through the telescope. Draw what you see.

Check out the living and previously living things on display. Pick one and draw it below:

What organization runs the Nature Center at Belvedere Castle? ____________________

What are 2 other things that this organization does?

After the trip:

Choose one aspect from the “Environment” list below, and describe how this trip taught you something or introduced you to something about that aspect of the environment which was new to you. Possible ideas to use are: Physical setting, Wildlife, Plants, Animals, Natural history, Public health, Conservation, Money or economics, Pollution, Recycling, Sanitation, Limited resources, Parks, Reserves … or use your own idea.

If you are having trouble starting your description, think about this structure:

On my trip to _____________I realized/learned some things about my environment in New York City. I learned _____________, _____________, and _____________, which all relate to (chosen aspect). These facts made me think _____________. I also felt _____________ about this aspect of the environment because _____________.

Me, NYC, & Environment

Bronx Zoo Fieldtrip Form

Directions: Take the 2 to East Tremont Av. Go down the stairs to Boston Rd. and walk straight (North, pass 179^th pass 180^th) 3 blocks to the Zoo. Enter at the Asia Gate.

Before you go:

Name _________________________________                    Date _________________

When you think of the New York City Environment, what comes to mind?

Season: _________________________              Weather: ________________________

Have you ever been to this place before?   YES / NO

What do you expect to see?

Predict what this place has to do with the idea of “Environment?”

Why/how is this place important or significant to NYC?

On the trip:  This trip has 2 parts. One part is Wild Asia Jungle World, near the gate where you enter. The other part can be anywhere else in the zoo of your choice.

Part ONE: At any exhibit of your choice outside Wild Asia Jungle World, draw an animal of your choice.

Describe the habitat of this animal (the place where it lives, including plants and other animals nearby).

What are 2 facts you learned about this animal?

What makes this animal unique or interesting to you?

How has this animal or this animal’s habitat/environment in nature been affected by humans?

Part TWO (Wild Asia Jungle World) (at entrance)

How fast is the jungle being destroyed? ______________________________________

What 4 types of forests can make up a jungle?

Where do jungles occur? ____________________________________________________________________

(inside) Describe 2 facts about the Binturong monkey.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Describe 2 adaptations of the Matschie’s Tree Kangaroo that help it survive in the jungle.

(in the mangrove forest) What is this forest’s relationship to the sea?

Give 4 examples of plants or animals that ONLY live in mangrove forests.

What are the Ebony Langurs doing? Describe 3 activities or behaviors that you observe.

(in the rainforest) What makes a rainforest?

Describe 3 jungle products that you have in your life. What do they come from?

What are the Silver Leaf monkeys doing?

Draw a picture of the Malaysian Tapir.

What is the relationship between panthers and leopards?_______________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Where did cats originate? _______________________________________________

How many kinds of cats live in Asia now? __________________________________

Feel the trees around you. What do you think they are made of? __________________

Describe an insect in “The Unseen Multitudes:” (name, color, shape, size, legs?, wings?, habitat, place it’s from, behavior, food, etc.)

(down at the waterfall) Describe one type of fish or turtle that you can see. What makes it different from the other types you can see?

(outside at the exit) What is the human population right now? _____________________

How many acres of rainforest are there right now? ______________________________

Which number is going up and which one down? _______________________________

Which number is changing faster? __________________________________________

What do you think that this means for the future? ______________________________

After the trip:

What did you learn from the rainforest numbers and the human population numbers outside the Wild Asia Jungle World exhibit?

Why are zoos important to people? ___________________________________________

Why might zoos be important to animals?

What information was there at the zoo or what information do you have from your own experience about human impact on the environment?

Choose one aspect from the “Environment” list below, and describe how this trip taught you something or introduced you to something about that aspect of the environment which was new to you. Possible ideas to use are: Physical setting, Wildlife, Plants, Animals, Natural history, Public health, Conservation, Money or economics, Pollution, Recycling, Sanitation, Limited resources, Parks, Reserves … or use your own idea.

If you are having trouble starting your description, think about this structure:

On my trip to _____________I realized/learned some things about my environment in New York City. I learned _____________, _____________, and _____________, which all relate to (chosen aspect). These facts made me think _____________. I also felt _____________ about this aspect of the environment because _____________. Keep going!

Me, NYC, & Environment

(AMNH) Hall of New York State Environment Fieldtrip Form

Directions: Walk north up the west side of the park or take the B or C train to 81^st St. Go into the North entrance on 81^st St. and proceed to the Hall of New York State Environment.

Before you go:

Name _________________________________                    Date _________________

When you think of the New York City Environment, what comes to mind?

Season: _________________________              Weather: ________________________

Have you ever been to this place before?   YES / NO

What do you expect to see?

Predict what this place has to do with the idea of “Environment?”

Why/how is this place important or significant to NYC?

On the trip directions: The exercise is written from the West side of the exhibit to the East. For each display there are several questions or tasks to complete.

Geological History and Structure Describe in your own words how Stissing Mountain was formed.

When did this occur? ___________________________________________________

The Water Cycle: What is the chemical formula for water? ______________________

What role does the water table play in the water cycle?

How does deforestation impact the water cycle?

Describe two other effects of deforestation.

Glaciation: Describe what Manhattan and the other 4 boroughs of New York City might have looked like about 15,000 years ago.

Soil and Soil Conservation

Describe one method of soil conservation.

Why is soil conservation important?

Life in the Soil: Describe at least 3 harmful effects that an introduced species can have.

What are 3 differences between the woods and the farm in the display that are caused by humans living on the land?

The Apple Orchard in Dutchess County, NY

Why do apple trees sometimes have wire around their trunks?

Explain the role of a bee in an apple tree’s life.

Cycle of Nutrition and Decay:   What is humus? ______________________________

Name 3 organisms involved in decay: _______________________________________

From Field to Lake: What is succession?

How does succession change landscapes?

What is a niche?

Why are wetlands important ecosystems?

Agriculture

When did settled agriculture become common in New York? ______________________

What resources did indigenous native forests offer to early Algonquins?

Why did agriculture decline around 1870?

After the trip: What did you learn about NY state that you didn’t know before?

Summarize the relationship between water, soil, and humans (farmers or builders).

Me, NYC, & Environment

(AMNH) Hall of Biodiversity Fieldtrip Form

Directions: Walk north up the west side of the park or take the B or C train to 81^st St. Go into the North entrance on 81^st Street and proceed to the Hall of Biodiversity.

Before you go:

Name _________________________________                    Date _________________

When you think of the New York City Environment, what comes to mind?

Season: _________________________              Weather: ________________________

Have you ever been to this place before?   YES / NO

What do you expect to see?  ________________________________________________

Predict what this place has to do with the idea of “Environment?”

Why/how is this place important or significant to NYC?

On the trip:  Part ONE — Hall of Biodiversity

What is biodiversity?

Why is biodiversity important to an environment?

Check out the spectrum of Habitats (the wall of video screens with panels below). Fill out:

	1 example	% coverage	1 benefit	2 facts
Coral reef & coastal wetlands
Tropical forests
Freshwater wetland, rivers, & lakes
Deserts
Oceans
Temperate & boreal forests
Tundra
Grasslands & savanna
Islands

Go to the resource center. Watch one of the tree “Bio Bulletins” on the small TV screens at the desks: ‘Going to Dzanga-Sangha,’ ‘Otter Splashdown,’ or ‘Bringing Back the Butterfly.’ Write a summary of the video which is at least 4 sentences and contains at least 3 facts you learned. The videos are short – you may want to watch one twice to write a good summary.

Choose one other display from the wall of animals, extinction, and biodiversity. Take a picture of it.

The animal is named ___________________________________________________

Two facts about it are

Give a summary of the display:

Walk through the Dzanga-Sangha Rainforest exhibit. What 3 countries share this rainforest?  _________________________________________

What is ecotourism?

What do you think of ecotourism?

Part TWO — The Milstein Hall of Ocean Life

Choose an ecosystem on the upper level. Describe it — Where does it occur? What’s in it? What is unique about it?

Check out “Ancient Oceans.” What evidence is there that life evolved in the oceans?

Check out the animals on the lower level. If you were one of the animals in here, which would you be and why?

What facts can you find about the whale above you?

After the trip: Do you think New York City has a lot of biodiversity? Why or why not?

Why should people care about biodiversity?

What kinds of ecosystems are present around New York?

Choose one aspect from the “Environment” list below, and describe how this trip taught you something or introduced you to something about that aspect of the environment which was new to you. Possible ideas to use are: Physical setting, Wildlife, Plants, Animals, Natural history, Public health, Conservation, Money or economics, Pollution, Recycling, Sanitation, Limited resources, Parks, Reserves … or use your own idea.

If you are having trouble starting your description, think about this structure:

On my trip to _____________I realized/learned some things about my environment in New York City. I learned _____________, _____________, and _____________, which all relate to (chosen aspect). These facts made me think _____________. I also felt _____________ about this aspect of the environment because _____________.

Me, NYC & the Environment

Brooklyn Botanical Garden

1000 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11225 - 718.623.7200

Subway Directions:

1. Have you ever been to a public garden before and what do you expect to see today?

2. Why might public gardens and parks be important for city residents in NYC and in general?

Name of plant	Scientific Observations & Descriptions	Why this plant is interesting &/or what questions you have about it.

Me, NYC, & Environment

Portfolio Page Assignment Guide

1. Write an introduction about your feelings and thoughts about the NYC environment based on your responses to the questions from the beginning of the year before you went on any trips. Look through your “Initial Thoughts” assignment to help you.

2.  Choose one fieldtrip that you went on that interesting to you and was related to the environment in some way.

From your environment fieldtrip assignment form, include:

A.  A description of the trip: We went to destination on date during the season, on a weather day. I had/had not been there before. Before I went, I thought it would be expectations. I thought destination was related to the idea of NYC environment because predictions. I thought it was important to NYC because significance.

B.  A reflection on your relationship to the NYC environment: It must include which aspect you chose to write about: Physical setting, Wildlife, Plants, Animals, Natural history, Public health, Conservation, Money or economics, Pollution, Recycling, Sanitation, Limited resources, Parks, Reserves … or your own idea. Your reflection should also include a description of what you experienced and what you learned from that. Use your fieldtrip assignment form to help you.

C.  Labeled photos from your trip or related images: Describe why you included them.

3.  Write a conclusion explaining how your thoughts or ideas about the NYC environment have changed or developed since the beginning of your 9th grade year. You should address the following questions:

When you think of the New York City “Environment,” what comes to mind now that you didn’t used to think about? When you move around New York City from home to school and back or on Friday field trips, what parts of the environment do you experience now that you didn’t notice before? What problems does NYC’s environment have that you learned about because of your trips? What are some things that people do to take care of their environments that you saw on your trips or experienced since you started taking trips?

Part 2c - Me, NYC & History

This Section Includes:

Initial Thoughts Handout

Generic Field Trip Form

Specific Field Trip Forms

Portfolio Page Assignment Guide

Me, NYC & History

Initial Thoughts

Do this before your first History trip

 

At the beginning of the year:

What are some reminders of history you see in New York City?

 

 

Why do you think it is important to learn about history?

 

How do you think our NY Experience field trips will educate you about history?

 

How do you think New York City has been important in creating history?

 

Me, NYC & History

Generic History Field Trip Form

Destination:  __________________________        Date:_______________________

1.     Before we leave, what do you know about this topic that we are going to view?

2.     How does today’s trip relate to history and New York?

3.     To what period in history does this trip relate?

4.     What new knowledge did you learn from today’s trip?

5.     What are the three most impressive historical facts you learned today? Explain why you chose them. (3-4 sentences)

6.     Can you relate this trip to anything significant in your life (film, music, something you learned in school)? Explain.

Me, NYC & History

The Jewish History Museum

Directions The Museum is located at 1109 Fifth Avenue on the north-east corner of 92nd Street
Subway: Take  the 4, 5, or 6 train to 86th Street. Walk west on 86th Street, turn right at 5th Avenue and proceed north to 92nd Street.

Numismatics is the study of coins and medals. Thousands of years ago, people bartered goods, services, or weights of metal for purchases. The first coins appeared ca. 600 BCE and were made by hammering silver or bronze into a mold. The design carved within the mold identified the place, date and value of the coins. It also tells a story of the time period and people when it was used.

Go to the Numismatics section of the museum     

1. Choose 2 sets of coins
2. Examine each of the sets of coins you chose
3. Fill in the following information in the lines below

1a. Name of the first set of coins you chose ____________________________________

1b. The date in which it was made ____________________________________________

1c. A description of the coins that you are looking at: ________________________________________________

1d. How are these coins teaching us about history?____________________________

2a. Name of the second set of coins you chose: ________________________________

2b. The date in which it was made _________________________________________

2c. A description of the coins that you are looking at: __________________________________________________________________

2d. How are these coins teaching us about history???___________________________

________________________________________________

Go to the Ceremonial Art Section of the Museum

(Jewish Ceremonial Art — or Judaica — are works used in Jewish rituals. They range from decorations for the Torah scroll, the holiest work, to ordinary objects purchased and transformed into ceremonial art through use).

Find each of these items pictured and answer the following questions:

1. What is the name of this object? _____________________________________
2. When and where was it made? ______________________________________
3. What is the purpose of this religious object? (You may need to ask a museum representative) _____________________________________________________________

4. What is the name of this object? _____________________________________
5. When and where was it made? ______________________________________
6. What is the purpose of this religious object? (You may need to ask a museum representative) _____________________________________________________________

Me, NYC, & History

The Cloisters Field Trip

Fort Tyron Park, New York -  (212) 923-3700

Directions: Directions: Take the mid-train A uptown to 190th St. and the elevator to the street. Turn right on the street when you get out and walk through the park and uphill to the Cloisters. There are signs.

Go to the Medieval Armour section of the museum

1. Looking at the armour in this exhibit, how would you describe this period in history? ________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

2. If you were a knight wearing one of the suits of armour you are viewing, what problems do you think you would have?

3. Would you consider what you are viewing as art or weapons or both? Explain

Go to the Roman Art Exhibit: Go to this structure:

1. What is this structure you are viewing? ______________________________________

2. When was it made? _____________________________________________________

3. Who do you think lived here? Explain your answer.

§       What is painted on the walls?

§       Do they tell a story? Why would the owners put this on their walls?

6. Looking at the structure and the art of the Romans, how would you describe this culture?

Me, NYC & History

Museum of the City of New York
1220 Fifth Avenue at 103rd Street – (212) 534-1672

.By subway: Lexington Avenue #6 train to 103rd Street Station, walk three blocks west, or #2 or #3 train to 110th Street and Lenox Avenue, walk one block east to Fifth Avenue, then south to 103rd Street.

GO TO THE PHOTO EXHIBIT – The Jacob Riis Photo Collection

1. What time period did Jacob Riis take pictures like this in his collection?________________

2. What was Jacob Riis (the photographer of this and many others at the museum) trying to tell his audience about the conditions of New York City during the time his pictures were taken?

3. What picture in this collection strikes you as the most “powerful”? Powerful can be defined as “the most meaningful to you”. ____________________________________________

4. EXPLAIN why you think the photo you chose is the most powerful.

GO TO THE TOY COLLECTION!!!!!

5. In what time period were these toys created? ____________________________________________

6. How have toys changed from the time these antiques were created to when you were playing with toys?

7. What do these toys tell you about this time period?

8. Do these look like toys for the rich or for the poor? EXPLAIN

      9.   Would you consider these toys as “art forms”? EXPLAIN

Me, NYC & History

National Museum of the American Indian

One Bowling Green, New York, NY 10004 --  (212-514-3700)

Subway Directions: Take the 1 or 9 trains to the South Ferry station or take the N or R to white Hall Street.

1) What was the original purpose of this building?  Why is it a historical Landmark and how was it an important building in New York City history?

2) As you travel though out the Museum make a list of all the tribal names you can find.

3) What is one object that relates to a historical moment or historical event

What is it?

What aspect of history does it relate to?

4) What is one object that relates to something spiritual or religious?

     What was this object used for?

4) Sketch on the back one item that you think was just made for aesthetic reasons (just to be art and to be beautiful) – jewelry, an artistic bowl, etc,

Me, NYC & History

Ulysses S. Grant’s Tomb

122nd Street and Riverside Drive

Subway Directions: #1 or #9 subway trains stop at West 116th St. Station at Broadway. Walk six blocks north, and two blocks west.

1. What do you know about Ulysses S. Grant? Have you ever heard of him before?

2. Have do you feel about going to a place where somebody famous is buried?

3. What do you expect this place to look like?

4.When you get there, what does the architecture remind you of?  What other buildings do you know look similar? 

5. Any guesses on the architectural style? Describe what you see and Explain your ideas…

Draw a picture of part of the building or part of the building here:

What are new facts about history and about the life of Ulysses S. Grant that you have learned today and what is your reflection about them?

Concrete Evidence	Reflection: What does this show, explain, make you, etc.?
1.
2.
3.
4.

Me, NYC & History

World Trade Center Site and St/ Paul’s Church

St. Paul's Chapel is located on Church St. between Fulton St. and Vesey St., opposite the east side of the World Trade Center site in lower Manhattan.

By Subway:

2, 3 to Park Place,  or 1,9,4,5 and A to Fulton St-Broadway Nassau or E to Chambers or R to Cortlandt Street

Before Trip: What do you know about the role of St Paul’s Church in 9/11?

Before Trip: This is an Archive of artifacts, (kinda like a museum) a Church, AND a place where some go to reflect and remember those who died? What are some basic guidelines to follow?

History

 When St. Paul's Chapel was completed in 1766, it stood in a field some distance from the growing port city to the south. It was built as a "chapel-of-ease" for parishioners who lived far from the primary, or "Mother," church. Today, St. Paul's Chapel is Manhattan's oldest public building in continuous use, and its remaining colonial church.

Washington's Pew

 George Washington worshiped here on Inauguration Day, April 30, 1789, and attended services at St. Paul's during the two years New York City was the country's capital. Above his pew is an 18th-century oil painting of the Great Seal of the United States, which was adopted in 1782.

 Directly across the chapel is the Governor's pew, which George Clinton, the first Governor of the State of New York, used when he visited St. Paul's. The Arms of the State of New York are on the wall above the pew.

 Among other notable historical figures who worshiped at St. Paul's were Prince William, later King William IV of England; Lord Cornwallis, who is most famous in this country for surrendering at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781; Lord Howe, who commanded the British forces in New York, and Presidents Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison, and George H. W. Bush.

Architecture

 Andrew Gautier served as master craftsman, erecting a building typical of the Georgian Classic-Revival style, and resembling London's St. Martin-in-the-Fields. St. Paul's is constructed of Manhattan mica-schist with brownstone quoins; its woodwork, carving, and door hinges are handmade.

 The ornamental design of the "Glory" over the altar is the work of Pierre L'Enfant, who designed Washington, D.C. The "Glory" depicts Mt. Sinai in clouds and lightning, the Hebrew word for "God" in a triangle, and the two tablets of the Law with the Ten Commandments.

 The pulpit is surmounted by a coronet and six feathers. Fourteen original cut-glass chandeliers hang in the nave and the galleries. The organ case was built in 1804.

 On the Broadway side of the chapel's exterior is an oak statue of St. Paul carved in the American Primitive style. Below the east window is the monument to General Richard Montgomery, who died at the Battle of Quebec during the American Revolutionary War.

The Extraordinary Ministry of St. Paul's Chapel

September 2001-May 2002

After the attack on September 11, 2001, which led to the collapse of the twin towers of the World Trade Center, St. Paul's Chapel served as a place of rest and refuge for recovery workers at the WTC site.

For eight months, hundreds of volunteers worked 12 hour shifts around the clock, serving meals, making beds, counseling and praying with fire fighters, construction workers, police and others. Massage therapists, chiropractors, podiatrists and musicians also tended to their needs.

 Today, St. Paul's continues as an active part of the Parish of Trinity Church, holding services, weekday concerts, occasional lectures, and providing a shelter for the homeless.

(bibliography “St Paul’s Chapel”, www.saintpaulschapel.org/about_us/, 1/14/2005)

AT the Church:

Describe the artifact (What is it?)	What basic information can you find out about the artifact (from the captions, etc.)	What does it make you think, feel, wonder, imagine?

 Me, NYC, & History

Portfolio Page Assignment Guide

1. You are to write an introduction about your feeling and thoughts about NYC history based on your “initial thoughts.” The introduction section will be created using your initial thoughts (History) page which you completed at the beginning of the year, discussing how you felt about NYC history trips before you actually went on any of the excursions.
2. Choose one field trip that you went on that related to history that was interesting to you.  The following information must be discussed in this section of your portfolio page:
1. Description of the trip: For this section, you should discuss the trip in as much detail as possible.

We went to give location  on date during the season. I had/had not been there before . Before I went, I thought it would be what you thought the trip would be like before you left.   I thought chosen destination was related to history because this site dealt with list reasons why you think it deals with history.  It is important to NYC history because list reasons again.

2. Reflection section: NYC History and myself – In this section, you are to discuss your feelings on this trip and how this trip shaped and influenced you. What did you learn from this trip? What was this trip about? How did this trip relate to anything you learned from class or you learned from you from your own personal experiences? Be sure to mention specific information about the experience: time period when what you saw was created or discussed, how this effected history in NYC and/or in general, major events or people involved, did it deal with economics, religion, social change, government – if so explain how it did.

C.  Labeled photos from your trip or related images: Include information stating why you included them in your portfolio and description of the images you included.

3.     Write a conclusion explaining how your thoughts and ideas have changed your ideas about NYC History from the beginning of the year in 9^th grade. These questions should be answered.

·      What questions do you now ask yourself when you view something of historic significance?

·      When travelling around NYC do you think about the history involved and if so what parts? Why didn’t you notice them before?

·      What impact does NYC have in history from what you saw on your trips?

·      What were some ways in which history was presented to you on your trips? Did these different ways change the way you think of history?

Me, NYC & Landmarks & Architecture

This Section Includes:

·      Initial Thoughts Handout

·      Generic Field Trip Form

·      Specific Field Trip Forms

·      Portfolio Page Assignment Guide

Me, NYC & Landmarks & Architecture

Initial Thoughts Handout

At the beginning of the year:

When you think of the word “architecture” what comes to mind?

You are an architect and you are going to design a building for a company (like Sony, for instance). What are some things that you will need decide?   

Why do really old buildings look so much different than newer buildings? (Consider: materials, style, uses, money)

Why do buildings in Washington Heights and Harlem look different than buildings in Midtown (around school)

What are a couple of your favorite buildings in New York City and Why ?

1.

2.

Me, NYC & Landmarks & Architecture

Generic Fieldtrip Form

Before you go:          

Name   ______________________                Date  ______________________

Weather______________________

Have you ever been to this place before?       YES / NO

What do you already know about ____________?_____________________

_____________________________________________________________

Why is this structure important?_______________________________

_____________________________________________________________

On the trip:

Note: If you have a camera, take pictures of this structure

Where are you as you write this?                   ___ ______________________

Describe what you can see? _______________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

What are some features that you noticed as you more closely at this structure?_____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

When was this structure built?_____________________________________

Why was this structure built? _____________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What is this structure made of?____________________________________

After the trip:

Choose one aspect from the “Architecture” list below, and describe how this trip taught you something or introduced you to something new about it.  Possible ideas are:

§       location

§       architectural features (arches, pillars, beams, window type, cornice, etc.)

§       purpose/function of the building

§       building materials/structure (brick, wood, steel frame)

§       architectural style

§       building history

If you are having trouble starting your description, think about (but do not copy) this structure:

            On my trip to ____________________ I realized/learned some things

about architecture in New York City.  I learned about _______________ ,

______________ , and __________________ , which all relate to (chosen

aspect).  Learning about these new things made me think ______________

______________________ .  I thought _________________ was interesting

because ______________________________ .

Me, NYC & Landmarks & Architecture

Empire State Building

Directions:

Before you go:          

Name:___________________________        Date: __________________________

Weather: _________________________

Have you ever been to this place before?       YES / NO

What do you already know about the Empire State Building?_____________________

________________________________________________

Why do you think this building important?__________________________________

________________________________________________

On the trip:

Note: If you have a camera, take two pictures.  One: the view from the top and two: the view of the building from the bottom

Where are you as you write this?                   ___Observation Deck_______

Describe what you can see? How far can you see?____________________________

________________________________________________

What is the architectural style of this building?________________________________

What year was this structure finished?______________________________________

How tall is this building (with the antenna)?__________________________________

What is the skeleton of this building made out of?______________________________

What is the “skin” or outside surface of this building made of?_____________________

___________________________________________________________________

Why is did the architects design this building to be so tall?______________

What major event happened in the United States the year that the Empire State Building was finished?

After the trip:

Choose one aspect from the “Architecture” list below, and describe how this trip taught you something or introduced you to something new about it.  Possible ideas are:

§       location

§       architectural features (arches, pillars, beams, window type, cornice, etc.)

§       purpose/function of the building

§       building materials/structure (brick, wood, steel frame)

§       architectural style

§       building history

If you are having trouble starting your description, think about (but do not copy) this structure:

            On my trip to ____________________ I realized/learned some things

about architecture in New York City.  I learned about _______________ ,

______________ , and __________________ , which all relate to (chosen

aspect).  Learning about these new things made me think ______________

______________________ .  I thought _________________ was interesting because ______________________________

Me, NYC & Landmarks & Architecture

Saint John the Divine Cathedral

Before you go:          

Name                                                                           ______________________

Date                                                                            ______________________

Weather                                                                       ______________________

Have you ever been to this place before?       YES / NO

What do you already know about Saint John the Divine Cathedral?______

_____________________________________________________________

Why do you think this building is important?________________________

_____________________________________________________________

On the trip:

Note: If you have a camera, take at least two pictures.  One: the view from the outside and two: the view of the building from the inside

Where are you as you write this?                   ___ ____________________

Describe what you can see? ______________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

What is the first thing that you noticed when you entered this building?______________________________________________________

When was work on this building begun?        _________________________

How tall is this building?_________________________________________

What is this building made out of?__________________________________

What is the architectural style of this building?________________________

Why is did the architects design this building to be so big?______________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

for background information check out:

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/medny/stjohn1.html

 HYPERLINK http://iisd1.iisd.ca/50comm/commdb/desc/d40.htm

Me, NYC & Landmarks & Architecture

The Flatiron Building

Directions: “R” or “W” train to 23^rd Street

The Flatiron Building        Also known as: Fuller Building                  Built: 1902

Type: Skyscraper                 Height: 285 feet (87 meters)

Not well known among those not from the area, or not into historic architecture, the Flatiron Building is a favorite of New Yorkers and admirers around the world.  Perhaps because it symbolizes so much of how New Yorkers see themselves: Defiant, bold, sophisticated, and interesting. With just enough embedded grime and soot to highlight its details. The Flatiron's most interesting feature is its shape: a slender hull plowing up the streets of commerce as the bow off a great ocean liner plows through the waves of its domain. The apex of the building is just six feet wide, and expands into a limestone wedge adorned with Gothic and Renaissance details of Greek faces and terra cotta flowers. The building has two claims to fame: one architectural, the other cultural.  Some consider the Flatiron Building to be New York City's first skyscraper. It certainly was one of the first buildings in the city to employ a steel frame to hold up its 285-foot tall facade, but not the first. Some felt its shape (like a flatiron) was less artistic and more dangerous. They thought it would fall over, and during construction the Flatiron Building was nicknamed "Burnham's Folly." The building's cultural legacy is a little more interesting and has passed into the local social consciousness as a fable.  It is said that the building created unusual eddies in the wind which would cause women's skirts to fly around as they walked on 23rd street. This attracted throngs of young men who gathered to view the barelegged spectacle. Police would try to disperse these knots of heavy-breathers by calling to them, "23 Skidoo."  This phrase has passed out of common usage, but its descendant, the word "scram" remains in a back corner of the American lexicon.

"...Quite the most notorious thing in New York and attracts more attention than all the other buildings now going up together...We have to congratulate the architect on the success of his detail. . . of giving appropriate texture to his walls...The manufacturer has managed exactly to match the warm yellow-gray of the limestone base in the tint of the terra cotta above."

-Architectural Record 1902

From: http://www.glasssteelandstone.com/US/NY/NewYorkFlatiron.html

         Sometimes incorrectly thought to have been the first steel skeleton building (dozens of steel framed buildings were built in New York in the 1890’s), the Flatiron is an energetic mix of Gothic and Renaissance styles. Its twenty-two stories are divided into three parts, beginning, middle and end, like a classical Greek column.    

         Here, rusticated limestone is uniformly detailed from ground to sky. This sheer triangular tower is only six feet wide at its rounded narrow end. The acutely angled corners give the building an exaggerated and dramatic perspective.   

            As the city’s first "skyscraper", New Yorkers worried that it would topple over. In the over 90 years since its construction the Flatiron’s only problem has been that city grime has settled into the crevices of the terra cotta flowers and Grecian faces decorating the building. Even this has only served to accentuate its details. 

From: http://users.commkey.net/daniel/flatiron.htm

Name:__________________

1) Look at picture below, what do you find odd or striking about this building?

2) Built in 1902, what do you think was significant about the building that made architectural engineers blush with excitement?

3) Why do you think it was called the Flatiron Building?

Ladies Mile: The Shopping Mecca of the world.  1862 – 1910

            The Ladies' Mile began in 1862 when A. T. Stewart moved his department store into a large white Venetian cast-iron palace at 9th Street, near Grace Church. The Stewart store has been demolished, but its extension, designed by D. H. Burnham in 1902 for                          John Wanamaker, survives at 9th Street. That magnificent panorama of mercantile display was nicknamed "Ladies' Mile," and it remained magnificent until the century turned and retailing moved uptown.

"Suddenly I had to close my eyes because actual tears were smarting at the very nearly uncontainable thrill of being here. The Ladies' Mile was great, the sidewalks and entrances of the block after block of big glittering ladies' stores. . ."

“Time and Again” by Jack Finney

"All America goes to New York for its shopping, when it can...." reads an 1893 handbook. "The brightness of  Broadway, the vivacity of lower Fifth Avenue, the sparkle of 23rd Street, are made up of the splendid temptations of the shop windows, and the groups of charming people who linger about them spell bound.... What are the Paris boulevards, or even Regent Street, to this magnificent panorama of mercantile display?"

                                                                                                                                             The Century Building, on Broadway and 17th Street.         

  The Bank of the Metropolis (left), 31 Union Square West. The Union (or Decker) Building (right), 33 Union Square West.

1. Look at the building from the intersection of Broadway and Fifth Avenue just north of 23^rd street.  What is unique about the views?

2. Observe the building from up close and describe two detailed friezes. 

3. Sit in Madison Square Park across the street and sketch the building. 

4. Walk down Broadway to 17^th Street.  What is unique about the red building? 

5. To the west of Union Square Park, look at building numbers 31 and 33.  What do you find odd about the architecture of the two buildings? 

6. Why do you think they designed the buildings this way?

Me, NYC & Landmarks & Architecture

Financial District

Federal Hall: this is the site where George Washington was sworn in as President; where the phrase “taxation without representation” was born. 

1.Looking through the exhibits, describe three things about the history of the building.

1.

2.

2.     Illustrate the façade (front) of the building and indicate what architectural style is used for the pillars. (Doric, Ionic, Corinthian?) 

New York Stock Exchange: Formed in 1792 that started with 24 stockbrokers, then housed in a rented room on 40 Wall Street, now the exchange trades shares in over 12,000 companies.  It is designed using Neo-Classical architecture.  Examples of this are the Greek pillars and friezes.

1.     Illustrate the façade (front) of the building and indicate what architectural style is used for the pillars.

2.     Look at the figures in front of the building; what do you think some of them represent?

Trinity Church: The original Trinity Church was chartered in 1697 but burned down.  The present structure was consecrated on 1846 and it a great example of Neo-Gothic architecture.  Look at the spires that reach up to the heavens.

1.     Describe three Gothic characteristics from this church.

2.     Illustrate one part of the church that you have to look up at:

Ground Zero: This is the site of the World Trade Center.  In its place will be two new structures that are planned to be the world’s tallest structures.  If you look down below, you will see the new temporary New Jersey PATH train station.

1.     Based on your observations, what do you think they should build on this site?

2.     Explain one fact after reading the placards on the World Trade Center.

3.  Looking at a picture of the World Trade Center, what do you think of the buildings design?

Part 2e: Me, NYC & Film

This Section Includes:

·            Generic Field Trip Form

·            Portfolio Page Assignment Guide

Me, NYC, and Film

Generic Film Form (As you watch the film)

Name _____________________________                            Date____________________

As an entire city, New York is incredibly diverse.  However, this diversity on the large scale is often in sharp contrast to the segregated nature of NYC on the neighborhood or block level.  Filmmakers wrestle with (or ignore) this fact in different ways.  While some movies about NYC try to show the entire city, others focus on one group or neighborhood (perhaps to the exclusion of others).  As such, when watching these films, it is important to note whose NYC is being depicted, whether this depiction is fair, and what the filmmaker is trying to say in this depiction.

NOTES  (Complete as you watch the film.  You do not need complete sentences here)

1. Title _________________
2. Director_______________
3. Year made ________________
4. Setting ___________________

5. As you watch the film, what architecture/sights/sounds do you recognize? ______

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Choose four characters and briefly describe each throughout the movie:

7. Choose two scenes and describe each with as much detail as you can.  Pay careful attention to the setting for each scene.  You may use the back for more space.

Me, NYC, and Film

Generic Film Form (Immediately after the film)

Name ______________________________                          Date____________________

QUESTIONS (To be completed in class)

1. Title ___________________
2. Director_________________
3. Year Made_______________
4. Setting__________________

5. What does the filmmaker do to let you know NYC is the setting? _____________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6.  How does the filmmaker present NYC in terms of (choose two):

1. Neighborhoods
2. Architecture
3. Work/workers
4. Subways
5. Stoops and sidewalks
6. Life in the streets/ v. inside
7. Traffic
8. Wealth/Poverty

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

7.  What does the film say about NYC’s people in terms of (choose two):

1. Personality
2. Looks
3. Race/Ethnicity/Religion

4. Habits/Activities
5. Eats
6. Speech/Communication

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Me, NYC, and Film

Portfolio Page Assignment

Name ______________________________                          Date____________________

Choose one film that you have seen for New York Experience.

1. Explain what living in New York City is like from your favorite character’s perspective.

(Example:  “From Joe’s perspective, NYC was tough because he had no money and had to deal with racist cops all the time…”)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Choose one of the following two questions:

2. Explain how this character’s experience is similar to and different from your own experience of living in New York City. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Based on how NYC is presented in the film, if you were written into the movie, explain:
1. How your character would be portrayed (good guy/bad guy; star/minor role).
2. How your character would respond to one event in the film (you choose).

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

New York Experience:

Short Research Project

For this component of the portfolio, students should be able to demonstrate knowledge about a specific topic of their interest from one of the field trip categories (Art, Architecture & Landmarks, Environment, History, Film).

This project can be in the form of a traditional short research paper (1-3 pages) accompanied with a short presentation (5 mins).

However, students can opt to focus on a more creative presentation (10-15 mins) that will not require a written paper. Students can choose to use a poster board, PowerPoint, iPhoto slideshow, or iMovie, among others.

New York Experience: Short Research Project

Suggested Outline

For this component of the portfolio, students should be able to demonstrate knowledge about a specific topic of their interest from one of the field trip categories (Art, Architecture & Landmarks, Environment, History, Film).

Students will present their research/findings to a group of peers and their advisors. Students can choose to use a poster board, PowerPoint, iPhoto slideshow, or iMovie, among other means.

The 10-15 minute presentation should adhere to the following structure:

Introduction                            (2 mins)

-                state thesis

-                brief summary of the main points that will support this thesis

-                discuss why this topic was chosen (Why did this topic interest you?)

-                description of research gathering (What were your sources? Where did you find them?)

-                Remember, this is the students’ chance to get his/her audience interested in the topic- Encourage students to have a “hook” that captures the audience’s interest

Main Points (body)          (10 mins)

-                The main points of the presentation (at least 3) should be clearly stated so that the audience can follow the presentation

-                Each main point must be supplemented by evidence

Conclusion                              (3 mins)

-                Briefly summarize and re-state the thesis

-                Give audience insights that were formulated as a result of this research project (What did you learn?)

-                State the topic’s relevance to New York (What is the overall importance of this topic and research to your understanding of New York City? How does this topic relate to your experience growing up in New York?)

Rubric

	Viewpoint	Evidence	Connections	Style	Mechanics
C r i t e r i a	__ Has a clear main point: __ Intro includes a CLEAR thesis statement __Intro includes a summary of the main supporting ideas. __ Includes topic sentences stating the main points. __ Has a conclusion that reinforces main idea from thesis and main points.	__ Supports point with evidence: __ Evidence is clearly referenced to during presentation. __ Bibliography clearly given during presentation.	__ Main point and evidence clearly connect; parts of the whole clearly relate: __ Entire presentation makes sense together. __ Uses transitions to help the presentation flow.	__ Well-written, easy to understand; gets to the point: __ Presented in appropriate formal academic style. __ Uses appropriate level and variety of vocabulary. __ Is interesting to listen/watch. __ Is clear and easy to understand: makes sense.	__ Follows the conventions of standard written English: Has correct: __ Grammar.
4	Distinguished	Distinguished	Distinguished	Distinguished	Distinguished
3	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good
2	Satisfactory	Satisfactory	Satisfactory	Satisfactory	Satisfactory
1	Minimal	Minimal	Minimal	Minimal	Minimal
0	Unsatisfactory	Unsatisfactory	Unsatisfactory	Unsatisfactory	Unsatisfactory

Research Topics: Me, NYC, & Art

ARTISTS

Choose any artist whose work you have seen this year (or any artist who makes NYC their home) and research their history or contribution to their art form.

Painter?

Sculptor?

Musician?

Visual Artist?

Performer?

— other —

ART FORMS

Sculpture styles

Painting styles

Tapestry styles

Music styles

Murals

Graffiti

— other —

ART MOVEMENTS

Harlem Renaissance

Italian Renaissance

Jazz/ blues

Impressionism

Cubism

— other —

ART SCENES

Choose any country or region or place that was important in an art movement in history.

Choose a neighborhood in NYC that was/is important to an art movement.

Choose a gallery and research its collection or its own history.

Choose a museum and describe its role in the art world and its important collections.

— other —

Me, NYC, & Environment

Possible Research Topics

(2-3 Pages)

NEW YORK CITY PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

·            Central Park

·            Why are there skyscrapers only in certain parts of Manhattan?

·            Wild Animals in Central Park

·            The East River Estuary

·            Long Island Sound

·            How were Manhattan and Long Island formed?

HUMAN IMPACT ON NEW YORK CITY’S ENVIRONMENT

·            Building Coney Island Beach

·            The UN-Islanding of Coney Island

·            Pollution in the East River or the Hudson River

·            Waste Management in Manhattan

·            High Rates of Asthma in Harlem

ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES IN NEW YORK CITY

·            The Museum of Natural History

·            The New York Aquarium

·            Harlem Environmental Impact Project

·            New York City Audubon Society

·            Save the Sound

·            Friends of Jerome Park Reservoir

·            The Central Park Conservancy

For a further list of New York Eco-Groups as research topics or as resources go to http://www.eco-usa.net/orgs/ny.shtml

Me, NYC, & History

Possible Research Topics

(2-3 Pages)

·            Prohibition in New York City

·            The History of the New York Yankees or Mets

·            or any New York City sports team

·            19^th century immigration to New York City

·            Ellis Island and its role in New York City History

·            The New York City Subway – its role on how it shaped New York City

·            The Native Americans of New York City – their lives before the founding of New York City

·            Geographical and Economic Significance of New York City

·            Who was Peter Stuyvesant?

·            The founding of Manhattan or any of the five boroughs of New York City

·            History of Chinatown, Little Italy, the Lower East Side, Harlem or any neighborhood in NYC

·            Who was John D. Rockefeller or Andrew Carnegie?

·            History of Wall Street or the New York Stock Exchange

·            New York City as the first capital of the United States Come up with your own topic and clear it with your advisor!

 

Me, NYC, and Film

Possible Research Assignment

(This needs to be made into a Presentation!)

Part I:  Introduction

-     State: the name of the film, the director, the year it was made, and the setting.

-       Research the director and write a one to two paragraph description of her or him. (Quote, paraphrase, and cite appropriately using at least two sources.)

-       Write a brief (one paragraph) summary of the film.

Part II: What others thought of the film

-       Research at least two reviews of the movie and compare and contrast the opinions expressed in each. You should try to use reviews that have different opinions from each other. (Quote, paraphrase, and cite appropriately using at least two sources.)

-       In a brief paragraph, describe what some of your friends thought of the film.

Part III:  What you thought of the film

-       Write your own review of the film:  Be sure to explain not just what you thought of the film, but also, how good of a job you think it did in depicting New York City.

-       Explain how the film relates to your own experience of New York City.

Part IV:  Conclusion:

-       Choose one of the following questions as a guide for a one paragraph conclusion:

Is this film a good guide to New York City?

o      If you had never been to NYC and this was all that you knew about the city, would you want to live/visit here?  Why, or why not?

o      As a New Yorker, are you proud or ashamed of the NYC in the movie; is this a fair representation of NYC and is this a side of the city you would want to tell about?

o      Imagine that you are away at college and you become friends with someone who has never been to NYC, would you want him or her to see this film in order to learn more about your NYC?

The Cover Letter

For the New York Experience Portfolio

After you have completed all the parts for your New York Experience Exhibition, pat yourself on the back and sit back for a moment.  You’ve just done a lot of work and had a lot of experiences! 

How have all these experiences, thoughts and ideas affected you?  What should the reader of your New York Experience Exhibition know about your before the read your portfolio?  What should they understand about the different parts of your work?   How do they connect? 

Write a cover letter to the reader of your portfolio.  What should the reader know about you and how you related to your surroundings before, during and after New York Experience?  Why have you chosen the particular topics in your filed trips and your research presentation?

Introduction:  Who am I?

(This section may be a paragraph or longer, depending on the writer).

For your introduction, let the reader know who you are? What’s your personality like and how did you first feel about all these trips and Landmark. 

How and where did you grow up?   Did this affect your feelings about NYC?  Where you curious, bored, excited, fearful, apathetic, enthusiastic, pessimistic, optimistic, etc.? 

Body:  What Should the Reader Know?

(This section may be a paragraph or longer, depending on the writer)

Let the reader know what they are about to see. Why have you chosen the particular topics in your filed trips and your research presentation?  Why were these topics important or interesting to you?

Conclusion:  How has Participating in NYC Experience Changed you or Affected you? What have you Learned?

(This section may be a paragraph or longer, depending on the writer)

At this point, describe how you have changed after almost 2 years of field trips and research?  How have your perceptions of NYC, art, history, the environment, film, landmarks and architecture changed or expanded?  How has exploring and studying the city changed you as a person and as a student?

Even though this should be one of the last things you write, this cover letter should be the first page of your exhibition, after the abstract.